The Rest is Spain - Olive Press Podcast - Episode 19

Spain's weather is getting weirder by the week - and this episode opens with the kind of August chaos you do not expect: hailstones the size of eggs, hurricane-force winds, mini-tsunamis on the coast, and a Granada earthquake that left hundreds unable to go home.If you live in Spain, rent property here, or just want to understand what these extreme events mean for everyday life, this one is essential.Caroline, Jon, and Walter break down the storms hammering Tarragona and the Costa Blanca, including the shocking hail damage in Tarragona port and the strange pressure-driven waves that hit Gandia, Javea, Mallorca, and the Balearics. Walt explains why this kind of wild weather is showing up in August, not September, and Jonathan connects the dots with warming Mediterranean temperatures and shifting atmospheric pressure. Caroline pushes on the big question: does this mean more serious disasters are coming?Then the conversation turns to Granada, where a 4.8 earthquake struck while Alessio was in an editorial meeting, giving Walt a front-row seat to the moment a colleague froze mid-call as the building shook. You’ll hear what it feels like when an earthquake hits, why the Richter scale is more dramatic than most people realize, and why 600 residents are still unable to return home.We also break down one of the most infuriating rental horror stories you’ll hear all year. A journalist in Granada rented her house through Booking.com, only to find signs of fire, smashed glass, stolen appliances, and a missing TV after guests left. The bigger shock? Booking and the bank allegedly sided with the guests, leaving her to fight back through the police, the Bank of Spain, and the courts.Walt brings the on-the-ground perspective from Catalonia and Granada, plus the weather context behind the storms and earthquakes.Essential listening if you live in Spain, own property here, rent to guests or just want the unfiltered reality behind the headlines.This episode is brought to you in partnership with Staysure Expat, helping expats travel with confidence: https://www.staysure.com/expatThis episode is in conjunction with Reale Seguros Expat - https://www.reale.es/expats/enMore from The Olive Press here: https://www.theolivepress.es